It is recognized that the flavor of some beverages may be enhanced by exposure to a magnetic field, which alters the molecular properties. U.S. Pat. No. 6,287,614 to Peiffer, for example, describes reducing the sensory perception of acids and tannins in alcoholic beverages by treating the beverage with a magnetic field. This treatment is asserted to give the alcoholic beverage a more aged flavor.
Accordingly, a number of products have been developed to expose beverages to magnetic fields to enhance flavor. Some of these products also attempt to enhance user convenience when magnetically treating beverages. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,872,401 to Lee discloses a container including surrounding sidewalls that have a plurality of magnets mounted on the inner side of the surrounding sidewalls to improve the flavor of fermented substances, such as wine, sauce, and tobacco. Another example is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,319 to Yu which discloses a beverage magnetizing container that exposes a beverage within the container to a magnetic field to promote preservation. The magnetic field is created by permanent magnets in the sidewalls, base, or cap of the container.
Other products magnetically treat beverages during initial processing. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,325,942 to Freije, III discloses a liquid treatment unit that includes a pipe having a plurality of magnets coupled thereto. The magnets treat liquid as it passes through the pipes. U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,353 to Ceccarani discloses an apparatus for accelerating the aging of alcoholic beverages. The apparatus exposes beverages to low-frequency polarized pulsating magnetic fields.
One shortcoming with several of these devices is that the container with its integral magnets must contact the beverage to be treated. In other words, the user must pour the beverage to be treated into the specialized container for treatment prior to consuming the beverage. These specialized containers may increase the cost of magnetically treating beverages and may also decrease consumer flexibility.
Significant advances in the area of magnetically treating materials are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,959,640; D511,198; D500,118; and Published U.S. Patent Application No. 2007/0108144 and assigned to Omega Patents, L.L.C., the assignee of the present invention, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The treatment devices may be considered as having a somewhat mechanical appearance that is appealing to a wide range of users. However, other users may desire something similar in terms of effectiveness, yet more fanciful in appearance.